Wednesday, February 6, 2013

A Real Housewife (Quietly) Unloads OC Mansion

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: There are those who can surely and successfully argue that The Real Housewives of... franchise jumped the proverbial Showbiz shark a long time ago. Maybe it has. None the less, Your Mama and the Doctor Cooter still faithfully tune in—well, we DVR it anyways—whenever those bejeweled blouse wearing beotches down in Orange County pop up on the boob toob. We can't help it. We can't.

Maybe after all these years we just feel loyal to all those over-Botoxed and faux-breasted women. Maybe we're simply sad, sheep-like creatures of t.v. watching habit. Maybe its a sick addiction we need Dr. Drew Pinsky to address. Or maybe—and most embarrassingly—we just can't get enough of all those grown-ass women wrapped in the glitzy trappings of wealth who may or may not actually be rich but still act like catty and entitled high school cheerleaders whenever they get a few cocktails in them. Whatever the reason(s), we can't resist them. We can't. We probably shouldn't admit that out loud but, there, it's done. Iffin any of the children don't want to hear about these Orange County vixens and vamps and/or their recent real estate activities, then we suggest you check back soon when we'll have moved on to a celebrity or "celebrity" more to your liking. Okay?

Anyhoodles poodles, Your Mama received a covert communique the other day from someone we'll call Tawny S. Kinh who told us that Heather DuBrow—who joined the RHOOC in mid-2012 for the 7th season and is slated to appear in the upcoming eighth season—and her prominent and clearly well-compensated plastic surgeon husband Terry DuBrow very quietly sold their custom-built mansion in the swanky and gated Pelican Crest enclave in Newport Coast, CA in the latter days of December 2012 for, according to property records, $16,450,000. The buyer is rich, of course, but not famous.

Sports minded real estate watchers may recall that Pelican Crest is the same pricey 'hood where L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant and his now ex-wife Vanessa were in the process of custom building a huge house when they split up and became the sold property of ex-Missus Bryant in early 2012 as part of their divorce settlement. But we digress...

As best as Your Mama can tell from a careful perusal of property records, Dr. and Missus DuBrow may have picked up the then-vacant parcel in September of 2004 for $3,275,000 and a couple years later taken out a whopping seven million dollar construction loan to pay for the custom erection of the existing mock-Med villa.

The DuBrow's mansion was not, as far as we can tell, ever on the open market so we weren't able to dig up any listing details about the house on the internets. Interestingly, property records are also frustratingly devoid of details so we can't even tell y'all how many square feet, the number of bedrooms or how many bathrooms the Orange County Tax Man thinks the house has because we didn't see them called out in any of the handful of data bases we accessed. All we really know is that their 2011 taxes came to just under $85,000 and that in the final days of 2012 Dr. and Missus Dubrow sold their luxurious Pelican Crest crib for $16,450,000.

Of course we saw bits and pieces of the luxurious and clearly quite large residence on season seven of The Real Housewives of Orange County. As our boozy memory recalls there's an impressive double height foyer sized like the lobby of a small hotel, a roomy and well-fitted eat-in kitchen and a spacious master suite complete with closets and dressing rooms that would make an average clothes horse simper with envy.

We also recall—and can surmise from aerial imagery readily accessible on the interweb—that there are several terraces and loggias on both levels at the back of the house that have broad coastline and ocean views. There's also a small formal garden centered around a fountain, a narrow but very wide and desirably flat swathe of grass and a gated driveway that leads to an underground parking area of unknown size. There is not, as far as we know, a swimming pool on the property unless there's one in the basement.

We peeked and poked around in various property record data bases but we were unable to figure out to where Dr. and Missus DuBrow have decamped. Did they downsize? Up size? Did they head inland or did they opt for something closer to the beach? Unless that cross-eyed reality t.v. exec and chat show hostess Andy Cohen gives Your Mama a ringy-dingy we may just have to wait until season 8 begins to get a bead on things. We tease, Andy. Your Mama luvs you like the dickens even though you never return our calls, texts or tweets.*

Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?

*Not that he would if we did but Mister Cohen never returns Your Mama's calls because we've never actually called, texted, tweeted or otherwise attempted to contact him.aerial image: Google

49 comments:

Chatty Charlie
said...

My money is on up-sizing, but they probably are renting something while they find the perfect lot to build a larger home on. Ms. D's made it well-known that they ran out of bedrooms when kiddie #4 arrived, and their architect was stumped as to how they would be able to easily add a fifth bedroom without massively re-designing most of the home.

I have to give her credit - she's one of the only "housewives" who has actual taste when it comes to interior decorating.

She said before "we'll never live in a house like this again."BTW, I'm freaking out! Hers is one of the most beautiful houses of any real housewife ever! There are some pics on the architects website. Hopefully they build again or buy low and design high. Aaah!

You're joking right? Taste? I'll admit she's not doing the Tuscan bullshit that all the others have played out but no matter- her house was decorated just as horribly!!!! I like me some carrera and white but a whole 10,000 sq ft+ freakin' house full? And all that black and white and plum!! Blah. No bueno. No bueno at all.

She said that in a real estate website interview. Trulia or maybe zillow. I do remember her being shown a possible double lot in Crystal Cove by the developer and Tamara Barneys tits.She would be foolish to buy into the stalled, dusty custom home section of CC so I'm betting they buy one of the many on, and secretly on, the market houses in one of the lower Pelicans and customize away; this time without those porous marble kitchen countertops!

Good for her! They've been fielding offers for a looong time. This is great bc it's seen as you enter Pelican Crest and turn either direction. Great inspiration for it's neighbors to emulate the more refined exterior

Heather Dubrow stated on Watch What Happens Live several months ago that they had built a pool in the back yard since filming had wrapped on the 7th Season. Obviously they may have built the pool preparing it for sale. I bet that they purchase another home in Pelican Crest.

These aerials are old, who knows what it looks like. Can't figure out what that walled in basement backyard is either @3:56. Maybe a sport court that was better left unfinished? Maybe something they regretted and never used? Wish I knew

An off market deal was probably done through lawyers. Lawyer contacts DuBrows, says buyer is interested, they say call our attorney, blah blah, papers are signed on site and cash transferred shortly after.

They were underwater and quit making payments on their previous home, which was a nothing place backing up to a very busy street (MacArthur).Something tells me the Dubrows aren't quite as wealthy as they claim and I would bet they are downsizing.

DuBrows are not broke, fool. The sales price and the construction loan amount leads me to believe they pocketed nearly 10mil before all da fees and stuff. I mean, hell, even 5mil profit on a house in the OC and they're rolling in it. Mama didn't say the $85,000 tax bill went unpaid.Use yer noggins/Internet connection.

@4:01, glad you said it so I didn't have to. Orange County prices have just always seemed outrageous to me, especially for the cookie-cutter overdone homes in the newer Newport communities. I mean seriously, it's like those Mormon communities where they build those giant churches surrounded by cookie cutter houses for them all to live in. Except in Newport Beach there's a country club where the church would be, and the religion consists of expensive cars, blonde hair at any cost, and fake, unrealistically large breasts. But just like in parts of Mormon country Utah, it'd be a bitch to make a journey back to the real world. Only instead of driving through the empty wilderness of Utah for hours, you'd be sitting on the PCH for hours.

I don't know... It's kind of both ugly and kind of cute at the same time, these rich communities built by the Irvine Company. If you compare them to some nasty horrors, like the houses north and around Green Acres in Holmby Hills, these streets and the vegetation look much beter (though in a kitchy fake kind of way).

I am glad she sold this, it is so ugly...

My favourite house in this community is the Paul Merage mansion. So ugly, all that yellow facade, and that heart-shaped plot, but what can one do.

There are many more houses than Paul Meranges. 9 Pelicans Dr, 1 Pelican Vista, 6 Channel Vista, 5 Avalon Vista. Just look around, it actually a really beautiful neighborhood and so if you're basing your opinions soley on the images from google maps you should quit now and venture out into the real world.

Anonymous 4:35 AM, I bet many would venture, but the community is gated, many aren't flying with helicopters around and there aren't any promontories or peaks around from where you could take a closer look.

I must admit, as a fellow New Yorker, I am partial to some Heather; no stranger to hard work (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0656686/?ref_=sr_1), including stage appearances, she's also what one could not call "intellectually lazy" -- unlike most of her cast-mates (note to Alexis: put down the Bible & pick up a secular book once in a while). It's fun to watch her run circles around this particularly shallow, under-educated, yet lovable bunch.

Although the decor is not what I'd wish on myself, it does make the best of a rather vulgar, overwrought design by toning it down & highlighting its domestic side (as much as any multi-thousand square foot home can be called "domestic").

I agree Lil Gay Boy, totally!She really is THE voice of reason on the show and makes a valiant effort to, in Kandis words, fly above the rest of em. Except when they get her goin and she gives them a royal verbal smackdown. I really do hope they're moving up now they're flush with resale cash.

Wonder what would happen if RHW function ever ran out of alocohol? That would be worth seeing. If they are doing so well, they would not have to sell and rent while construction of new place is in process. I guess they were squeezed financially and had an offer they couldnt refuse or already are under contract on another home. Or dare I say she took his name recently and maybe its splitsville. Just sayin....

@11:49, stop trying to draw up controversy. It was never listed, they accepted an outside offer!Who are you to say whether or not they're having money problems? How do you know they are renting? Where is your proof of these claims?Maybe they've created a trust or llc and bought a new house through that. Maybe you don't know shit

There will always be "controversy", either fabricated or real. I never really understood why Lisa Vanderpumo sold her now burnt house in Beverly Park, the "house is too big for the two of us" never really made any sense to me. But that doesn't mean there weren't some genuine reasons which didn't involve money problems.

@12:44, there you go again. If there were money problems at the Vanderpumps, how exactly did they buy on oak pass before closing on Beverly park? And then immediately overhaul the whole house, put on an addition, and meanwhile rent in Montecito. I mean... sometimes people just have money. Of all the broke ass fronter housewives, there's gotta be a few who actually do have some money. Maybe it's hard for us to understand their ways because they're not living how we might live with means like theirs but at the end of the day, it's their money, if they decide to sell in Beverly park and be rid of all the yard, interior, exterior, pool, and tennis court maintenance costs on top of the HOA dues and the big ol tax bill/assessments, then who are you to immediately assume it's due to financial stress?Just read and enjoy, and unless it's about someone selling short or there's tangible evidence of being broke, pipe down.

Dont know about the house in particular, but the view, right on the crest above Pellican Hill Resort is out of this world. From the air, yeah, these mock-med piles look horrific, but in person, many are quite well done and tasteful. I live in the area... and Dr. Dubrow trains at my gym.. always happy, smiling down to earth VERY nice guy. Best of luck to them both wherever they land.. though that view will be hard to replicate.

I also wonder about the Vanderpump money. I think they definately have it, and I do not begrudge them it. I heard they owned gay bars in london at one point, and that could have been very lucrative. And lets face it, without divorces over all these years, they were apt to hold on to it. I do think their smart business people which helps.

The gym is near the intersection of 17th and Newport Blvd., tucked away behind a T-shirt discounter and the (wonderful) Santa Monica Seafood location. It has a large sign, MedRX gym, but actually has another name. I forget the name now. My trainer used this gym for several years before moving to one with AC. It's not fancy at all & most who use it are really "into" body-building. I always met my trainer there in the early morning. Dr. Dubrow is quite unassuming and a nice, polite guy. Does his "couple of times per week," hour-long work out with his own trainer.

Ugh people need to realize there's a difference between rich people taking a good deal and having financial problem. Not all rich people have "fuck you amounts of money" where they can sell a house, and buy a new house to live in while building their actual new house, or to turn down a good offer when they see it. Simply put they're probably just savvy, new they wanted out of the house, so they took the offer, even if it meant renting for a bit. Sheesh, now not only will you tools bitch at the rich for doing rich people things, but you'll bitch at them for doing normal people things too, like renting a house while they wait for a new one. Oh my the horror, they're renting they must be poor now. Stop the presses!

Perhaps the crest with the view the anonymous poster is referring to is that hill peak east of Coral Reef and Tidal Surf streets in Newport Coast. Or maybe you can freely roam the slopes off the fences of some of the properties above the Pelican Hill Road or just off the San Joaquin Hills Road.

Anyone who's familiar or owned homes within this neighborhood (Pelican Crest, Pelican Hill)will laugh at a person who bought this hideous house filled with bad taste interiors, cheap ass landscape & low quality pool she puts in for that price. Looking at all comps the only house that has sold over 15m has its own private lake and was bought at the auction by the Japanese tycoon for around 18M (originally 37M). Also many homes that has sold around 11-14M has better interior quality, way better view, some has its own tennis court and its own indoor sports court. This is a joke. Anyone would be that shallow to bought some B-lister's (not even) house for that much. No frickin way anyone can be this stupid. This house is not a penny over 10.5m on a good day.